Filling and capping machine.



P. .I. SCHLOEMER & H. E. KRUEGER.

FILLING AND CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.25. i911.

l jlmfimhg Pwtenmd June 1, 1915.

j I; i I M Wad? ii PETER J. SCHLOEMER AND HENRY E. KRUEGEB, 0F OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN.

FILLING AND CAPIING MACHINE.

. Application filed September 25, 1911.

To all 'wkomit may concern Be it known that we, Pn'rnn J. SonLonMnn and HENRY E. Kmncenu, citizens of the United States, and residents of Oshkosh, in the county of 1V innebago and State of \Viscousin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Filling and Capping Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in filling and capping machines, and more particularly to filling and capping machines which are adapted to seal bottles containing carbonated or charged beverages.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a filling and capping machine which is adapted to fill bottles with a charged liquid, and then seal the bottles with crown seals.

A further object of this invention is to provide a filling and capping machine which is simple in construction and operation and which may be easily attached to the ordinary filling and capping table, or to the old style benches.

A further object of the invention is to provide a filling and capping machine which is adapted to engage, fill, and cap a bottle with the minimum number of operations and in a minimum amount of time.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of the improved filling and capping machine and its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the improved filling and capping machine and portions of the vertical operating rods; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, parts being in vertical section; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view thereof taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a front view of the filling and capping machine, on a smaller scale, shown attached to a table with a bottle in position thereon.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 8 indicates a portion of an ordinary filling and capping table provided with vertical slidable rods 9 which are connected at their lower ends to a spring retrieved foot treadle device 10. Arms 11, projecting from diametrically opposite sides of a casing 12, are

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915.

Serial No. 651,117.

bolted to the upper ends of these rods and the casing is reciprocated vertically thereby. The casing comprises a verticallv extending tubular member 13 having a cap l-lthreaded in its upper end, which is provided with :1 depending tubular guide portion 15 of less diameter than the diameter of the upper portion of the casing. The lower portion of the casing is slightly enlarged at points 16 and 17 foia'it' steps or shoulders 18 and 19, and the sle e e 20 of the arms 11 surrounds the casing immediately above the enlargement 16, and the lower end of the sleeve bears against the outer shoulder 21 formed by said enlargement. A screw 22 threaded through the sleeve and engaging the casing serves to adjustably bind the two parts together. A compression collar 23 provided with an annular inwardly extending flange 24 extends over the lower end of the casing and is provided with upstanding cam arms 25. These cam arms project through openings 26 and 26 of the arms 11 and have cam engaging shoulders 27 formed on their upper ends which extend over the upper cam surfaces of the annular cam collar 28. The cam collar is provided with a handle 29 for convenience in turning the same. The opening 30 of the flanged portion of the slidable collar is tapered outwardly to provide for easily extending the head of a bottle therethrough. A yielding sealing collar 31, preferably formed of rubber, is positioned within the lower portion of the casing and is interposed between the flange of the compression collar 23 and a washer 32 hearing against the shoulder 19. This sealing collar is adapted to be compressed by the upward movement of the compression collar, and when compressed the bore of the sealing collar is contracted to such an extent as to tightly seal the head and neck of a bottle inserted therein. The compression collar is moved vertically by the cam collar which draws upwardly on the upstanding arms of the said compression collar.

A crown-seal-cap-holding sleeve 33 positioned within the casing between the shoulder 18 and the washer 32 is in the form of a sleeve having a tapered bore 34 and is provided with shouldered inwardly project ing yielding cap holding dogs 35 which are adapted to releasably hold crown seal caps 36 inserted within the bore. Immediately above the cap holding sleeve the bore of the casing is contracted by means of an annular flange forming a shoulder 37 to limit the downward movement of the tubular crown cap member 38. The lower end portion of this member is provided with an annular flange or enlargement 39 which rests upon the flange 37, and a strong coiled spring 40 surrounding the cap member and interposed between the enlargement and the threaded cap 14 holds the cap member in its lowermost position. The upper end of the cap member is guided in the depending tubular guide of the threaded cap 14.

A spring retrieved cap plunger 41 slldably positioned within the bore of the crown cap member is provided with an enlargement or head 42 which is adapted to hold the crown caps against the dogs 35. A transverse pin '3 extending through the cap plunger and between the connecting bars 44 of the cap member serves to limitthe downward move ment of said plunger and also prevents the rotation of the plunger with relation to the crown cap member.

A pipe 45 connected to the casing and in communication with the bore of the cap holding sleeve 33 by means of the downwardly inclined passageway 46 is adapted to supply the carbonated or charged beverage with which the bottles are to be filled. The pipe is provided with a valve (not shown) for controlling the discharge of the liquid therefrom. The cap holding sleeve 33 is prevented from turning with relation to the casing by means of a lug .or pin 47 depending from the shoulder 18 of the casing and entering a recess 47 in the sleeve.

In order to provide for the escape of the air or gas when the pressure increases to an extent greater than is desired, an escape valve 48 is threaded into the side of the easing, and a passageway 49 extends from the valve to the bore of the cap sleeve. This escape valve 48 is provided with a piston 50 positioned to normally close the passageway 49 and a coiled spring 51 interposed between the piston and an adjusting screw 52 provides a means for adjusting the tension of the spring and thereby controlling the pressure within the casing. The nozzle 53 permits the discharge of the air or gas when the valve is in open position.

Openings 26' similar to the openings 26 for the arms 25 are provided to permit the casing and the .cam handle to be shifted to another position with relation to the arms to adapt the machine to fit tables of different types.

In operation a crown seal cap is placed into the casing by the operator and pushed upwardly until it snaps by the shoulders of the holding dogs, the spring-pressed plunger yielding sulliciently to permit the cap to be moved upwardly above the shoulders and to hold the cap on the shoulders when the operators hand is removed therefrom. The bottle to be filled is now placed on the table immediately beneath the bore of the casing and the operator presses downwardly on the foot treadle sulficiently to slide the casing over the head of the bottle and with the crown cap positioned a slight distance above the head of the bottle. The cam ring handle is now turned to move the compression collar to compress the sealing collar and cause it to contract around the head and neck of the bottle and temporarily seal the bottle and the casing together. The valve of the inlet pipe is now opened to admit the charged beverage to the lower portion of the bore of the casing and into the bottle. As soon as the bottle is filled the valve is turned off and the foot treadle is further pressed to force the crown cap over the head of the bottle and the cap upwardly against the tapered wall of the cap holdin sleeve, and seal the contents within the TlOttlB. The cam ring handle is now swung in the opposite direction to release the sealing collar and the foot treadle is then released to permit the casing to move upwardly and disengage the bottle. If the pressure of the charged beverage is excesslve the escape valve will automatically open and permit the escape of some of the air or gas until the pressure becomes normal when it will close.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the machine is simple in construction and operation and is well adapted for the purpose desired.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A filling and capping machine, comprising a casing, cap applying means carried by said caslng, a compression collar extending over the lower end of the casing, cam engaging arms extending upwardly from the compression collar, a cam collar engaged by said arms, a compressible sealing collar interposed between the compression collar and the lower portion of the casing and "adapted to have its bore contracted when compressed, and means for feeding liquid to said casing.

2. A filling and capping machine, comprising a casing, cap applying means carried by said casing, a compression collar surrounding the lower end portion of the casing and provided with an inwardly extending annular flange, said compression collar provided with cam engaging arms extending upwardly therefrom, a cam collar surrounding the casing and provided with upwardly extending cam surfaces which are engaged by the cam arms, a compressible sealing collar interposed between the annular flange of the compression collar and the lower portion of the casing and adapted to have the bore contracted when compressed, and

. mana'm \tlt means for feeding a charged liquid to said casing.

3. A filling and capping machine, com? prising a caslng, cap applying means within said casing, arms connected to and supporting said casing and provided with openings, a compression collar surrounding the lower end of the casing and provided with an inwardly extending annular flange, said compression collar provided with upstanding cam engaging arms which are adapted to extend through the openings of the supporting arms, a cam collar surrounding the casing and resting on the supporting arms and provided wlth upper cam surfaces which are engaged by the upper ends of the cam arms, a compressible sealing collar interposed between the annular flange of the compression collar and the casing and adapted to have its bore contracted when compressed, an inlet pipe communicating with the casing, and an automatic escape valve also connected with said cap applying means.

In testimony whereof, we afix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

PETER J. SCHLOEMER. HENRY E. KRUEGER.

Witnesses:

- A. H. GRUENEWALD,

ALBERT WEIDEMANN. 

